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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are loaded with wholesome oatmeal and whole wheat flour, flavored with peanut butter, and sweetened with honey, for a yummy, on-the-go breakfast or snack!

I’ve been trying to perfect a peanut butter version of my baked Oats & Honey Granola Bars for awhile now, and along those lines, I was tinkering with the recipe several weeks back. While my resulting concoction didn’t exactly turn out like the crunchy granola bars I envisioned, it did end up resembling soft-baked oatmeal bars. So I suppose in this case, a kitchen fail of one sort turned into a kitchen triumph of another! I love it when that happens. 😉

I’ve made this recipe a couple of times since and my family really enjoys it. I love that it’s a ready-made breakfast, because during the summer at Casa de Five Heart Home, three young individuals eagerly wake up at the crack of dawn. And you see, this foils Mama’s plan of indulging in the luxury of “sleeping in” (until a whopping 7 a.m.) so long as school is out.

So when the toddler pries open my eyelid at 6:30 a.m. with a “Mama, I hungry,” I can simply whisper, “Okay, baby…go ask your brother to get you a peanut butter bar.” And when she scampers off, it’s at least five full minutes before she pries open my eyelid again.

“Mama. He got me a pee-buh bah.”

Glad to hear it, sweetie. Now why don’t you go ask him to pour you some milk, thereby allotting me five more precious minutes…?

In all seriousness, though, these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are the definition of honey-sweet, soft-baked yumminess. They’re great for breakfast, at home or on-the-go, and they’re a perfectly portable snack. They’re also somewhere in between the Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars and the crunchy baked granola bars that I typically make, so it’s always fun to change things up.

So make ’em soon! I think you’ll enjoy them. And if you’re lucky, they may even buy you an extra five minutes of sleep. Now that’s what I call magic. 😉

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bar Recipe

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are loaded with wholesome oatmeal and whole wheat flour, flavored with peanut butter, and sweetened with honey, for a yummy, on-the-go breakfast or snack!

Instructions

Arrange oven rack in center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with coconut oil or softened butter, or coat with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the coconut oil, honey, egg, and vanilla. Add the peanut butter and mix until well combined.

Scrape the batter into prepared baking dish and smooth the top so that it's an even thickness. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and lightly press into the surface. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing into bars.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Notes

To make oat flour, use a blender or mini food processor to grind 1 3/4 cups oats into a fine powder. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of oat flour for the recipe after grinding. If you have leftover oat flour after measuring, you can always save it for a Blueberry Muffin Healthy Oat Smoothie. 🙂

If desired, you may reduce the brown sugar.

To save a dirty dish, I melt the coconut oil in a measuring cup in the microwave and then measure the honey and vanilla on top. The coconut oil helps the honey slide out of the measuring cup.

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As soon as I laid eyes on these, I knew I HAD to make them that afternoon. They were easy to make and a yummy blend of flavors. My husband grabbed the ones that were left to take to work and share with his friends there. I guess I didn’t really need to eat the rest all by myself anyway. Thanks for another great recipe!

Ha, Carolyn…glad these were a hit! And so kind of John to share with his co-workers, although I guess that means you just have to make another batch for the home front. 😉 Hope you’re having a great week and staying cool!

Hi there! I apologize for the delayed reply…I’ve been out of the country. I’ve only made these with coconut oil, but you could try making them with melted butter or a mild oil like canola or safflower (though, again, I haven’t tried those substitutes). Hope they turn out well if you make them! 🙂

Hi Molly! I haven’t tried substituting, but I bet quick-cooking oats would work just fine in this recipe. The bars will probably turn out softer using quick oats (as opposed to chewier using old-fashioned rolled oats), but they should still be tasty. Enjoy! 🙂

I really like the flavor of these bars and have made them twice. I am trying to figure out how to make them so they don’t crumble so badly, they cut into bars OK but tend to break or crumble very easily. Any thoughts on how to make them a little more moist and more pliable without crumbling so bad? Great flavor.

Hi, RoseMarie! Almond butter would work as a straight substitute for the peanut butter in this recipe, but almond flour has different properties than wheat flour and would probably require the recipe to be modified.

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Hi, I’m Samantha . . .

a busy wife and tired mama of two energetic boys and a sweet little girl living in Texas. I love cooking, writing, eating queso, watching college football, and taking way too many pics of my kids. In my “spare” time, I run this food blog and I wrote a cookbook. The days are crazy but the love is plenty between the five hearts that make up our home! (click for more)